Regular game-time and generally strong performances in England's third tier made his next move, half-way around the world to the struggling Central Coast, an interesting choice for Burnley.

At first he appeared to be one of Dyche's favourite sons, rocketing through the system to star in some of Burnley's biggest clashes. His match against Chelsea in particular, now three long years ago, had commentators raving about the young Aussie's calming effect on an otherwise rambunctious Claret midfield.

The loan deal would have been tough to take, not that the gravel-toned Dyche is one to talk back to, and early in the season it appeared the Australian wasn't entirely convinced.

While O'Neill insisted he "wanted a change", it seemed he wasn't having to work hard enough, either to maintain his position in an injury-hit squad, or to influence his struggling teammates as one of the most prodigious youngsters in the competition.

But now, as his tenure draws to a close, he appears to be slowly maturing into a more comfortable role. And with a return to the unforgiving world of the Premier League on the horizon, O'Neill has a keen eye on his personal development.

While the midfielder wasn't originally keen on Mike Mulvey's decision to push him back into central defence due to the club's plethora of injuries, after excelling in a varied role he's beginning to see the benefits.

"Centre-half is a new position for me and another learning curve, but it's seeing the game from a different angle," he explained.

"They're all new challenges and good steps. You can see how much it benefited me, I now know how much defenders need their central midfielders, to cover, to show for the ball.

"I've been doing well back in midfield though," he's quick to add.

Whether this newfound poise bodes him well in what promises to be an exciting off-season remains to be seen. His parent club currently sit 15th in the Premier League, part of an increasingly inescapable relegation battle that virtually extends into the top-half of the table.

Relegation would be an unthinkable regression after Dyche's side finished sixth last season, but as O'Neill has witnessed firsthand, football can be a cruel mistress. 

And while the "young kid" who has quickly become a man at the Mariners would never admit it, just as Central Coast's plight has offered personal rewards, Burnley's misfortune could also pay dividends for the youngster. If the Clarets were relegated, there's every chance Australia would have a 20-year-old starter in the Championship next season.

What O'Neill will admit is, at the very least, his A-League experience will hold him in good stead no matter what people back in the old country think. 

"The A-League standard is actually really good," he said.

"You hear a lot of criticism from overseas about the league, but it's very competitive and you hear about a lot of players that have come here over the past season, very good players.

"I've really enjoyed it."

Facing his next challenge far closer to home, a series of plucky performances and, most notably, a few points on the board for the Mariners have staved off the unwanted record of the worst historical A-League season.

With one boot in the antiquated Lancashire countryside, O'Neill just wants to leave his brief A-League tenure on a high. 

"I'm a bit sore at the moment, it was a very intense game but we get a point and we look to next weekend," he said.

"There's still a lot of games to go and we can pick up a lot of points...," he pauses for a moment, "just to win games would be nice. As a footballer you never want to be bottom.

"We played really well in some games and haven't found that way to win yet, but it's starting to come. It's coming along."

"I think we've played really well. It would just be really nice to cap off the season by winning games."